CHAMBERSBURG - The public will get to see local artists work with Philadelphia-based mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar to put together two large mosaic-style works of art on the exterior walls downtown this weekend during Old Market Day.

What people won't see is all the work that those artists have done to get ready for the big creative event.

That includes the collection of stacks and stacks of various types and colors of ceramic tiles and glass that will be used in the creation of the mosaics, followed by hours and hours of work breaking the collection into usable pieces of tile and glass for the two giant works of art.

The murals will be created on the exterior walls of the Main Street Deli, 33 N. Main Street, and The Foundry building at 100 S. Main St.

The idea of creating permanent works of art for the public to enjoy in downtown Chambersburg came from local artist-teacher Holly Baker Strayer, who had seen Zagar's work and was teaching his techniques to her art students at Chambersburg Area Senior High School.

"As an artist, I feel that Isaiah's work is a fun and creative way to bring art to the downtown area," Strayer said. "Art inspires and builds community."

This year she approached Downtown Chambersburg Inc., which is responsible for the annual downtown ChambersFest celebration.

With DCI as a partner, Strayer asked Zagar to come to Chambersburg to create a mural here.

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Holly Baker Strayer breaks a section of mirror into pieces for the Chambersburg Community Mural Project to be created during Old Market Day on June 16.(Photo: VICKY TAYLOR/ PUBLIC OPINION)

To fund the project, DCI raised $24,000 in private donations in less than a month from both corporate sponsors and individual donors.

Zagar arrived in town Friday and drew the designs for the two buildings on Friday. Zagar and volunteers begin working on the first mural on the Main Street Deli building Saturday morning.

He will be in town until July 23 as they complete the project, leaving behind two large permanent art projects on the outside walls of the Main Street Deli and the Foundry when he returns home.

Strayer said the response of the community to the project has been tremendous, both from local business sponsors and the volunteers that have spent so much time helping to break up the donated tiles and mirrors into pieces small enough to use in the mosaic creations.

Volunteers such as Mary Alleman, who will help with the mosaic creations, are excited about the opportunity to work with Zagar.

"I have visited the Magic Gardens and seen his work in South Philly, and I appreciate his unique art," she said.

Officials with DCI and its parent organization, the Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce, are also excited about the project.

"The project exemplifies the spirit of the community and what can happen when you have vision and passion," said Noel Purdy, DCI's president.

Public art has been used in many communities to help revitalize as well as improve the look and feel of downtown areas, including Chambersburg, where an annual temporary mural exhibit by local artists features 80 or more murals on display between September and early in the spring each year.

The mosaic murals will be the first such permanent project, however.

DCI has been working to expand that project to include permanent murals. The organization recently expressed the hope that the Zagar mosaic project will be the catalyst for an ongoing permanent mural project downtown.

"I think its important to make art available for all to enjoy and that's what Isaiah's work is all about," Alleman said.